Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

In my day, never was longer.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

This really is a full service blog.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

The GOP is a fucking disgrace.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

You are here: Home / Music / Walter Becker RIP

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111Comments

  3. 3.

    Elizabelle

    Dang. Listened to “My Old School” a few nights ago. Love a lot of Steely Dan songs, not all of them.

    RIP.

  4. 4.

    geg6

    Oh man, RIP. Aja was one of the soundtracks to my college days. Though I think Can’t Buy a Thrill is my favorite.

  6. 6.

    worn

    Aw fuck, what terrible news. The man, along with his partner in crime, gave us so much good music (though I will admit Donald’s voice is an acquired taste).

    RIP Walter, I hope you are in a good place.

  8. 8.

    jharp

    I clearly remember picking out stereo speakers in Akron, Ohio by listening to Steely Dan’s Aja.

    Circa 1974.

    (We had to drive to the big city to buy electronics)

  9. 9.

    J R in WV

    Maybe an acquired taste – I must have acquired it years and decades ago, around the mid-70s. A guy next door (out of maybe 7?) played jazz, introduced us to Steely Dan early on. So been part of our lives for most of my life now.

  11. 11.

    GxB

    Now this just plain sucks. I know he’s had health issues for quite some time (both mental and physical) so not a total surprise, but damn.

    And here I was going to try and catch SD on one of their low key tours, though they largely stuck to the coasts – elitist prigs ;) (can’t say I blame them.)

    RIP Walter – I’ll turn the Eagles up next time I argue with my SO in your honor.

  12. 12.

    delk

    The small Catholic grade school I went to back in the early ’70’s had its own bowling alley (8 lanes. Fully Automated!) Do It Again was one of the juke box favorites.

    Later on, during the late ’80’s while studying with a Berklee grad I went through a massive Steeley Dan phase. So much tasteful guitar playing.

    RIP

  14. 14.

    worn

    Walter’s 11 Tracks of Whack from the mid-90’s is a bit of a guilty pleasure: Dan type harmonies but the recording is stripped down to the point of sounding like a demo. A song that has special poignance to this, um, moody bastard: https://youtu.be/QHAQsOBo9P8

  15. 15.

    Mr. Prosser

    “I have always maintained that Steely Dan’s music was, has been, and remains among the most genuinely subversive oeuvres in late-twentieth-century pop.” – William Gibson Anyone who really listens to the words in “Hey, Nineteen” or “Cousin Dupree” and most of the rest of their songs knows Gibson is correct. Even their name is a wink at William Burroughs.

  18. 18.

    worn

    @jharp: Aja was 1977, same year as Star Wars. But I don’t blame you for using it to preview qspeakers. The arrangements, performances & production on that LP are simply stunning.

  21. 21.

    worn

    @Mr. Prosser: ‘Were You Blind That Day”, a demo w/ an alternate set of lyrics to “Third World Man” is as cynical as the day is long. Unfortunately the only video youtube has the vocals sounding like they’ve been run through several reverb pedals chained together, else I’d post the link…

  22. 22.

    Brachiator

    On the counter
    By your keys
    Was a book of numbers
    And your remedies
    One of these
    Surely will screen out the sorrow
    But where are you tomorrow

    I can’t cry anymore

    RIP, Walter Becker

  23. 23.

    Major Major Major Major

    A classic

    Donald Fagen Defends Steely Dan to Friends

    NEW YORK—While having drinks with friends at a local bar Monday, Donald Fagen, 60, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and cofounder of the multiplatinum-selling American rock band Steely Dan, was once again forced to defend his appreciation for the multiplatinum-selling American rock band Steely Dan.

    “Look, I understand. It’s an acquired taste,” Fagen said…

  33. 33.

    Mary G

    Bummer. Countdown to Ecstasy was one of my favorites in college and I still listen to it once in a while however many years later. Aja was my first CD, such an amazing technology at the time.

  38. 38.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    Damn. Steely Dan was the soundtrack to my youth, and M. Colette and I were just singing along to “Dirty Work” when it came up on Pandora yesterday – we had no idea it was a requiem.

  39. 39.

    hueyplong

    I recall a cross country trip when each passage into a new radio station’s range brought another playing of Deacon Blues.

  43. 43.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    I better take good care of my Steely Dan T-Shirt. Won’t be able to get another one directly at a concert. RIP, Mr. Becker. You and Mr. Fagin were the soundtrack of my college.

  44. 44.

    Smiling Mortician

    I still have everything pre-1980 on vinyl but no turntable to play ’em on. How’s that for a metaphor? These guys got me through college. RIP, Walter.

    ETA: Looks like a lot of us were in college at roughly the same time, eh?

  46. 46.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    @raven: Yeah, I know – Michael McDonald’s quintessential vocal. Fagen could never have hit those high notes. I think a few other tracks had vocals by others, too. I wore out at least three cassette tapes of Can’t Buy a Thrill over the years; I don’t think I could still sing along (badly) with every song the way I once could, but “Dirty Work” is still my carpool karaoke go-to.

  47. 47.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @AliceBlue: I remember TV commercials when Aja was released– for you younglings, that used to be a thing, albums advertised on television

    I’ve always been a Steely Dan fan. The last few years Kid Charlemagne has been my favorite song. RIP

  49. 49.

    RandomMonster

    My wife and I saw them play a couple of years ago. They were very tight and professional, as you’d imagine.

    We named our adopted dog “Josie”. She’s a short little thing and about the furthest thing from the character in the song, but we thought she needed a little confidence.

  50. 50.

    trollhattan

    Sigh, terrible news. So many finely crafted songs and perfect fodder for those sarcastic, sardonic moods. The more one digs into the lyrics the more is revealed.

    RIP Walter, and thanks. Everything must go.

  53. 53.

    p.a.

    Damn. Just yesterday I commented about music I hadn’t listened to in years and had forgotten how great it was, in reference to Rod Stewart’s Every Picture Tells a Story, and after that I played Countdown to Ecstacy (close by in the alphebetized cd rack). Baaaaad mojo. Hang in there Rod!

  54. 54.

    GxB

    @raven: No argument on the Eagles – I have never owned one of their albums in any form. I say, that’s a JOKE son… pay attention!

    I’m more of a Pretzel Logic fan these days, but really all their albums are fantastic. The last two maybe a bit less IMO, but I remember hearing “Two Against Nature” for the first time – Dave Brubeck a’ la’ Steely Dan, played the ever-loving crap out of that track.

  55. 55.

    geg6

    @Smiling Mortician:

    All my Steely Dan is on vinyl, too. And I also have no turntable. I have a lot of great pre-mid-80s stuff on vinyl that I can’t listen to. Most of my Springsteen and early Prince and all my punk. I need to get a turntable, dammit.

  58. 58.

    Jacel

    @AliceBlue: The designer of the Aja cover was Phil Hartman. Yes, that Phil Hartman. He created a lot of iconic record covers, including Poco’s horse logo, aside from his comedy and acting career.

  59. 59.

    burnspbesq

    He was never a member of the band, but Steely Dan made Larry Carlton a legend. Guitar students will study “Kid Charlemagne” for the rest of time.

  60. 60.

    James Powell

    @geg6:

    Same here, freshman year at the Ohio State University, one of the top three years of my life. It’s probably the main reason I’ve always really loved that album and tend to listen to it all the way through.

  61. 61.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Walter Becker is dead.

    Yet Donald Trump and Dick Cheney are still animated.

    There ain’t no fuckin’ justice.

  62. 62.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @hueyplong: Learn to work the saxophone.
    I play just what I feel
    Drink scotch whiskey all night long
    And die behind the wheel

    They got a name for the winners in the world
    I want a name when I lose
    They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
    Call me Deacon Blues

  66. 66.

    piratedan

    was always more of a Bodhisattva guy myself… but loads of good music, awesome to listen to be it on the road or reading a fave book.

  67. 67.

    The Golux

    @jharp:

    I clearly remember picking out stereo speakers in Akron, Ohio by listening to Steely Dan’s Aja.

    I’ve done the same – that and Little Feat’s “Last Record Album”. Those two albums (Aja in particular) were so well produced, and so sonically superior to other recordings, that they were perfect for that purpose.

    When a Steely Dan song comes up during my band’s break music, it stands out for how much better it sounds than the song that preceded it.

  70. 70.

    Lee Hartmann

    Sharing the things we know and love with those of our kind
    Sensations- Libations – that stagger the mind

  72. 72.

    dexwood

    @raven:
    Thanks, raven Bookmarked.

    My love of Steely Dan goes back to their first album. I can’t say what my favorite album is, though, it often comes down to which album I’ve chosen to listen to at the moment. My favorite tends to change with my mood. For years, my brother would make fun of me for seeing SD live – quit wasting your money on a studio band, he’d say. He stopped saying that after I took him, under protest, to one of their shows. So very tight,

  73. 73.

    trollhattan

    @The Golux:
    Yup, certain recordings challenge the equipment to reveal itself and it’s always a great experience to hear an old familiar piece for the “first time” when previously unheard details are presented.

    Cartridges and turntables are SO much better today that a lot of old vinyl has new tricks. Most of the Steely Dan catalog is worth revisiting.

    Hi-fi geekdom has become unfathomably expensive but a patient shopper can pick up used audiophile bits and assemble a pretty terrific two-channel system. Multichannel setups are usually poor for music and stereo stores are rare as honest Republicans.

  74. 74.

    jeffreyw

    @The Golux:

    When a Steely Dan song comes up during my band’s break music, it stands out for how much better it sounds than the song that preceded it.

    That is so well said that I refuse to add a snarky comment.

  80. 80.

    Bentley Wong

    I remember listening to Steely Dan for the first time on my 9volt powered AM radio.
    It was a revelation! Nothing else sounded that good.
    I could get enough of it…Do it Again !

  83. 83.

    Elizabelle

    Walter Becker gone; no chance to see the original Steely Dan founders. Kicking myself for not seeing them; thought the tickets were too expensive (and concerts are way more expensive than they used to be …)

    Although: Walter Becker quoted saying that he would be fine not playing on his own record. And they always sought out the best musicians, if not the most famous. So, if Donald Fagen does mot hang it up, we could still see (most of) a Steely Dan concert.

    Rolling Stone had a great lineup of ten of their best songs. Think you will know all or most of them, and wonder why another favorite did not make this list. Great catalog.

    http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/steely-dan-10-essential-songs-w500955/hey-nineteen-1980-w500961

  85. 85.

    trollhattan

    They say the smudgy skies are from wildfire smoke but it smells distinctly of exhaust at my house. Lovely.

  87. 87.

    SFAW

    Shit.

    The last week or so, I’ve been mini-bingeing on pre-Aja Dan. Reminded me how much I liked them.

    Which is weird, in a way, because I remember giving one of my frat brothers a ration of shit about them — before I actually listened to them. (Well, other than “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” which I still don’t like.) But I used to listen to their albums heavily, but I only have vinyl. Maybe it’s time to join the late-20th century, do some more bingeing, but on CD.

    Shit.

  90. 90.

    Elizabelle

    You know what else holds up? Boz Scaggs’ Silk Degrees. Still fresh; took it for granted because it was so ubiquitous (inescapable, really) when it was released.

  94. 94.

    dr. bloor

    Oof. Wore out the vinyl on them in college, did a full work-out last Thursday with them on the headphones, not much down time in the rotation at any point between then and now. They’re like the soundtrack to my life.

    Met him once, quite unexpectedly, about 20 years ago at a party in your basic 500 sq. ft. Cobble Hill apartment (“Steve, what’s Walter Becker doing in your living room?”). Pleasant to talk to, nicer than he needed to be to us.

  95. 95.

    hilts

    @dexwood:

    For years, my brother would make fun of me for seeing SD live – quit wasting your money on a studio band, he’d say.

    Your brother notwithstanding, their live performances were pretty damn impressive. In addition to the great live version of Bodhisattva that I linked to above they played an awesome version of Reelin’ In the Years on The Old Grey Whistle Test that unfortunately has been removed from YouTube.

  98. 98.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    Yow, this hits me hard. Steely Dan is one of my favorite groups, maybe second only to the Beatles. Becker’s death was completely unexpected. (When is it?)

    Haven’t listened to them much lately, but now seeing all these songs today is really making me feel the loss.

    “Doctor Wu.”

    All night long we would sing that stupid song
    And every word we sang I knew was true

  99. 99.

    No One of Consequence

    Though he has passed unto stillness, the vibrations he and Fagen set out into the Universe will reverberate for some time, considerably longer than the vibrations of most.

    I had a copy (dunno which generation off of the reels) of some of the cutting room floor leavings of Pretzel Logic and Katy Lied. What they left was some astounding stuff. Much like the Exile on Main Street outtakes, there was a lot of fantastic stuff.

    Hard to pick just one song, but my personal favorite was always Your Gold Teeth II. The chord progressions in that song, and the voicing and color just make me smile from the inside.

    Such a loss, but such a legacy to lessen the sting.

    Heaven’s Band gained another solid.

    Peace,

    – NOoC

  102. 102.

    Bill

    There’s a story that the Osmonds covered “Reelin’ in the Years”, perhaps not having read the lyrics beforehand, and so Fagan and Becker decided to Osmond-proof the song, and took to performing it in 13/8 or some similarly godawful time signature. It’s spectacular, and can be heard on Alive in America. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKH5_iBky-o

  103. 103.

    John Fremont

    @Steeplejack (phone): Your comment memotioning the Beatles and Steely Dan brought to mind Becker and Fagen’s inspiration for founding Steely Dan. Becker and Fagen were both jazz aficionados growing up and had very little interest in rock and roll. That is, until the Beatles came along. Both of them credit Lennon and McCartney’s songwriting to take another look at pop and rock music. Man, what a style they created with the Dan!

  104. 104.

    The Moar You Know

    Surprised at the ambivalence. I’m a musician, it’s been nothing but full on love for them since day one.

    RIP Mr. Becker.

  106. 106.

    PaulWartenberg

    I realized long ago that Steely Dan doesn’t make sense, not really, until you turn 30. And then you look back and wonder how crazy you were in college not to understand them any better.

  108. 108.

    Rachel in Portland

    Steely Dan: Such superb musicianship, such cultural literacy, such self-awareness, such subversion of all of it. I could even overlook the sexism. I appreciate how often @Doug! quotes them. Walter Becker–home at last.

  110. 110.

    (((CassandraLeo)))

    @PaulWartenberg: This seems accurate. I don’t think I fully appreciated just how perfect so many of their songs were until I reached my thirties. I greatly underrated The Royal Scam in particular when I was younger, though I’d always realised Countdown to Ecstasy and Aja were great. I didn’t fully understand the lyrics when I was younger, either.

    And they really did have so many great songs. “Deacon Blues” is one of the most perfect pop songs ever written. And there are so many other unforgettable ones – “Pretzel Logic”, “Chain Lightning”, “Reelin’ in the Years”, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”, “Show Biz Kids”, “My Old School”, “Bodhisattva”, “Do It Again”, “Black Friday”, “Doctor Wu”, “Kid Charlemagne”, “Don’t Take Me Alive”, “Caves of Altamira”, “Aja”, “The Royal Scam”, “Peg”, “Josie”, “FM (No Static at All)”, “Babylon Sisters”, “Hey Nineteen”, and on and on – most musicians would kill to have a songbook like that.

    Beyond that, the production on their albums was immaculate. Aja is, for my money, quite possibly the best-sounding recording ever produced; maybe only the likes of Dark Side of the Moon can actually stack up. These records were made when analogue sound had really reached perfection, and they have a warmth to them that is missing from many modern records. Beyond that, they have such dynamic range. Digital sound should’ve been an opportunity to bring even more clarity to music, and early on, it actually was (listen to something like the original CD of Tears for Fears’ Seeds of Love), but modern recording industry practices have just sucked all the dynamic range out of music, and with it, all the life. There’s a clarity to Steely Dan’s music that simply isn’t there in most modern records, and I suspect most of that is due to Walter and Donald’s perfectionism in the studio.

    Anyway, this was really horrible news to wake up to, and I still don’t feel any better about it at the end of the day. I’ve re-listened to their first six albums plus “FM (No Static at All)”; now to put on Gaucho.

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